


the difference between us

by skittykitty



Series: MimicVerse Knockoffs [3]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Minor Character Death, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Technoblade, Platonic Relationships, Roadtrip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:22:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25802059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skittykitty/pseuds/skittykitty
Summary: Zero had never expected to live for more than a few weeks. So when they wake up alone, without Techno or Mimic to tell them what to do, they have a whole world to themselves.Somehow, they always wound up back at where they started. With Wilbur, Phil, and Tommy.
Relationships: Technoblade & Wilbur Soot (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: MimicVerse Knockoffs [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1840318
Comments: 10
Kudos: 125





	the difference between us

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Subl1m1nal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Subl1m1nal/gifts).
  * Inspired by [What Still Remains](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25381906) by [Subl1m1nal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Subl1m1nal/pseuds/Subl1m1nal). 



Their “friends” never said that they were worthless. _(They thought it anyway.)_ They never said that they were hindering their ability to return home, but everyone still looked at them as if someone else was there.

Everyone called them _Zero._ They knew nothing about this world, so they may as well be worth nothing.

The two specters they could see— Techno and Mimic— they were the ones they all wanted to see. They wanted to talk to them— laugh, joke with them. 

But from the first time they had opened their eyes, the specters hadn’t been able to talk to anyone else since.

Tommy had tried his best to support them, but maybe they weren’t enough for the kid. Maybe the child just wanted his friend back.

For so long Zero simply hadn’t cared.

But now, with everything set up and moments from what would be the end of their short life, now they cared.

Zero hadn’t had a very nice life, considering they had been a weight on everyone in their life and put everyone they supposedly cared for into danger. For the first time since… _ever,_ they wished to sink to the floor and _sob._

Life was cruel.

But their “friends” were worse.

They saw their sorry state and pushed them even farther past the edge. They put what was essentially the end of their life in their shaking hands and told them to _die._

Techno and Mimic both urged them on, crying for them to let the two of them continue their lives in peace.

_Just die already, Zero._

With all the pressure to perform, what choice was there really?

* * *

_They were supposed to be dead._

Techno and Mimic would both be back in their own worlds, happy with their families. And Zero would be dead. Maybe they’d haunt one of them, but that would be worse than death.

Zero opened their hazel eyes to a bright world, to the feeling of grass cushioning their head. He took a deep breath, reveling in the feeling of the cold air crawling into their lungs.

_This was what Techno and Mimic got to live through every day._

This is what the two of them never _savored._

Zero sat up, stopping for a moment as their vision began to blur at the movement. Their head pounded, leaving them slumped over in the grass.

_They were alive._

There was total silence around them, no bickering of the two specters, no one but _them._

They stayed in the grass, enjoying the bliss of _silence_ for a moment.

* * *

A moment lasted a long time, they learned.

They lost a lot of time they could have been exploring the bliss of _life_. Zero began to head towards where most of Techno and Mimic’s friends were inhabited to inform them that they had failed. 

They got fairly close to the village before they realized what was wrong. Techno had spoken about his world at length— about the differences, about how Dream was so different from his own, how the landscape was so much brighter. How his world had never had nearly as much conflict and thus had less of a pollution and waste problem than Mimic did.

From a distance, they saw a man who looked like the opposite of Dream. White mask, green hoodie. He was self-assured and confident as he walked around the village. 

Zero turned away and began to walk away from the village, hoping their pink hair wouldn’t be noticed in the surrounding scenery.

 _So,_ they thought. They wouldn’t have to rely on Techno and Mimic now. They could finally prove themselves to be smart and resourceful! _I can’t go to the village. Maybe I can find a horse and wander around until I find a place to call my own?_

And with no one to tell them what to do— they did exactly that.

* * *

For days they wandered around on horseback, going past villages and gathering hay and carrots from them. They replanted them and tried to trade for a few emeralds from the villages to hopefully save up for something good.

Life was good for Zero.

They had food, they had transport, but they didn’t have a home yet.

* * *

Months passed of the same old, of trading, of finally getting an iron pickaxe from a trader and being able to go on with their life.

They went mining, hoping to get diamonds for a sword. _(Both Mimic and Techno had been good at fighting, they would likely be good as well.)_

It took much longer than expected, but they found the diamonds they were looking for and managed to forge a sword to protect themselves. 

When they eventually went into battle, they failed at actually being able to _use it_ though. They had a terrible defense and their body just— _didn’t move right._

They had scars from both of the Technos. Scars they didn’t know the story for, scars that went deep enough to make it hard to live. Tiny scars on their palms, and scars through their elbow that made it hard to bend their right arm.

But with all their time outside, they had managed a tan on their face and arms. Both Techno and Mimic had both been pale, and now— now they were _different._

There was one last thing connecting them to Techno.

* * *

They went around asking for a long time, but eventually, they were told of someone who could do it.

Someone who would dye their hair from bright pink to white.

They wanted nothing to do with the image of Technoblade, the warrior. 

They would be Zero… the civilian. 

Zero, the nobody.

And they wanted it to stay that way.

* * *

Months after showing up on Techno’s world, Zero returned to Techno’s old home.

It was mostly an accident as they were exploring. They happened upon the village and went into it to trade for items. They happened upon a few similar people, seeing George and Sapnap was already an odd experience, but seeing Wilbur again felt so terrible.

It felt like they had Techno’s body hidden under their feet and any second they wound smell the _rot._

Wilbur smiled at him and asked what their business in the village was. They lied, saying they had seen it in the distance and wanted to visit.

Wilbur left them alone.

They wandered around the village for a while and began to notice a few things.

Tommy was missing.

No one cared that Tommy was missing.

Dream was holed up in his house.

George and Sapnap were worried about Dream because he had been obsessing over something for weeks.

Wilbur and Phil were obsessing over the same thing.

Finding Tommy.

A moment of hesitation and remembering how _sad_ the other Wilbur had been was all it took to push them to talk to Wilbur again.

* * *

They were a stranger to Wilbur and Phil.

That didn’t stop the two from blindly trusting them. That didn’t stop them from allowing Zero to help, from telling them that _Tommy followed Techno to their Mimics universe._

But Zero knew the kid wouldn’t find anyone there. 

_(After all, they had killed Techno one way or another.)_

Even knowing they had killed Wilbur and Phil’s best friend— they managed to smile and bear it.

* * *

Weeks went by as Wilbur and Phil fell into disarray. 

They had run out of options to follow Tommy into the other universe and now had to wait for Tommy to return.

It was terrifying with their knowledge of how cut-throat that universe was. How likely it was that Tommy was never to return.

But one day all of their prayers were returned.

Tommy came home.

* * *

He was a right mess. Tears and mud all over his face. His eyes red-rimmed, and a few wounds on his arms.

But that didn’t matter to him. 

Tommy held himself up and stared at Wilbur. “He wasn’t there. Neither Techno was.” He sounded half-devastated and half-hopeful.

He hadn’t seen any proof of their deaths, but neither any proof of their _life._

Within moments of his declaration, Dream stumbled upon the child. “You idiot!” He screamed though he was the first to bring him into a welcoming hug.

Zero watched on as everyone welcomed Tommy home.

It was sweet.

* * *

Zero began to pack up after everything was finished.

Tommy was home, and Wilbur and Phil had their friend back. Of course, they’d never get Techno back but Zero now had to find their own friends.

For a while, they had been borrowing Techno’s friends. 

But now they were free of that.

While they packed up all their things, Wilbur walked in. 

“I know what you’re doing, Zero,” he said, blocking the door with his body. “Now that Tommy’s back you think we’ll replace you, don’t you?” _Well, not quite._ “We love you just as much as Tommy, Zero.”

Wh— _love?_

No one had loved them before.

“You’re a part of our family, and we… _I_ want you to stay.”

Wilbur brought them into a hug. Zero hid their face in Wilbur’s jacket as they let out all the soul-shattering sobs that had been hidden for so long.

_They were home._

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this all in one sitting over my very strong feelings that nothing bad better happen to Zero. Hope y'all enjoyed!! You can find me on my [tumblr](https://skitter-kitteruwu.tumblr.com/) where you can pester me to finish half-thought out ideas and scream to me about fics!!


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